Gel-liquid chemical systems are the electrolytes present in lithium batteries and other electrochemical devices. Gel-liquid chemical systems may include solvents, and the systems utilize solvated lithium ions for ion conduction. To deliver energy at a high rate, these electrolytes must sustain a high capacity for rapid transport of lithium ions to and from the electrodes of the batteries over a broad range of temperatures.
Solvents in lithium batteries promote rapid lithium transport but have certain drawbacks, namely that they can limit the applied voltage, they can allow the formation of lithium dendrites that can short the electronics, they do not allow for operation at high temperatures, and they can leak out of the battery. Improvements in lithium ion transport in solid electrolytes to reach a super-ionic state would allow the application of a lithium metal anode to improve battery performance in terms of high energy density, high temperature function, no electronics shorting, and no fluid leakage. Enhanced lithium transfer rates would boost ionic conduction and thus improve the battery performance in terms of high power capacity. Accordingly, there is a long-felt need in the art for improved electrolytes.